Electrodeposition of copper.



2 anims-SHEET a.

SM ou@ Maul current densi ELECTRODEPOSITION OF COPPER.'

Specification of Lettera Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Application led Hay 20, 1907. Serial No. 374,805.

To all whom 'it 'ma con/cem:`

Be it known t at I, SHERARD GsnonN CowPER-COLES', a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Grosvenor Mansions, 82 Victoria street, Westminster, London, England, have invented nevir and useful Improvements in the Electrodeposition 'of Copper; and I do hereby declare that the following is a ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved process for the electrodeposition of copper.

Copper produced by the usual method of electrodeposition upon a stationary oi' sloWl revolving cathode is found in practice to lac tensile strength and to be of a porous nature; attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by rotating the cathode at a high speed or by burnishing the metal during electrodepositicn but the burnishing is found to produce laminations. Now, I have found in practice that copper possessing the advantages of hard rolled copper of high tensile strength and free from porosity can be electrodeposited at a rapid rate b revolving the cathode at a peripheral spee of from 1,500 to 2,000 feet )er minute when employing a i of 200 amperes per square foot of catho e surface and sn electrolyte containing 12.5 per cent. of copper sulfate and 13 per cent. of sulfuric scid at a temperature of 40 centigrade. I have also found that the tensile strength of the copper 'produced increases with e increase of the speed of revolution of the cathode above 1,500,feet per minute.

In order that my invention may be .more

clearly understood, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, one form of. apparatus for carrying out my process, similar reference letters in which indicate identical parts throughout.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is s. sectional elevation of a suitable forni'of a paratus for carrying out the invention, an Fig. 2 is a plan viewl thereof. v

a represents the electrolytic vat havin an inlet b and an overloW outlet-c for the e ectrolyte.A

d is the cathode which is secured to the upper end of the spindle e 'mounted in bearings 1n the vat a and adapted to berotated at the requisite speed through the medium of the bevel gear e.

f, f are the anode segments which are supported by means of the rods f', f' on the annular frame g. These anod segments are ada ted to be adjusted in position relatively Witli) the cathode d es the operation proceeds by means of the Wedge-shaped projections h, h formed upon the said segments and which Wedge-shaped projections enga-ge with Wed es i, i upon rods j vertically mounted within t e vatal and provided at their up er projecting ends with screw threads c. with the screw threaded portions k of t ese rods y', 'the said nuts bearing upon the supporting braclrets'm of the rods.' By turning these nuts 7c the rods y' caribe raised sp as to shift the anode segments c inwardatothe desired entendi.`

Having now- 'fully `described and ascer-` tained my said invention and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-

The process of electrodeposition of copper, which consists in passing o. current of e ectricity of a density of 200 amperes per square foot of cathode surface from an anode to a' cathode and revolving said cathode at a speed of 1500 or more revolutions per minute in an electrolyte consisting of approximately 12.5% oi copper sulfate and 13% of sulfuric acid, substantially as described.

- Sliiftiil).- OSBORN COWPER-COLES.

Jomr E. BoUsrrELn, C. G. BnDrnRN.

*UNi'frnn STATES infrnnr oFFrcE 'Y uts Z en age 

